Azerbaijan, Iran discuss prospects for development of military cooperation

16:48
16 January 2019
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Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov on Wednesday met with a delegation led by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Defense Ministry reported.

The Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Bagheri in on an official visit to Azerbaijan at the invitation of the Azerbaijani defense minister.

Prior to the meeting, the Iranian delegation visited the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, laid wreaths and flowers at the graves of the heroic sons of the Motherland, who sacrificed their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of the country.

Then, an official welcoming ceremony was held at the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry for the Iranian general.

The parties first held a one-on-one meeting that was continued in an expanded format.

Minsiter Hasanov greeted the Iranian delegation and once again expressed his condolences over the tragedy occurred due to the crash of the aircraft belonging to Iranian Armed Forces.

Hasanov, assessing Bagheri’s visit to Azerbaijan as a high indicator of friendly relations between the two countries, emphasized the merits of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev and head of state Ilham Aliyev in establishing and strengthening mutual trust in these relations.

Speaking about the military-political situation in the region, the defense minister stressed that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continues to remain a serious threat to stability in the region. The minister also expressed gratitude to the Iranian side for its efforts aimed at resolving the conflict within the framework of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

Bagheri, in turn, noted that religious, historical, cultural ties between the two countries are based on the kind and friendly traditions, stating that as in many other areas, there is also a wide potential for cooperation between the two countries in the military sphere. He added that Iran supports the territorial integrity and Azerbaijan’s just position on the conflict resolution, and at the same time will provide comprehensive support to Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, the sides held a broad exchange of views on the prospects for the development of cooperation in the military, military-technical, military-medical and military-educational spheres, countering terrorism, regional security, organizing mutual visits of expert groups, as well as on the other issues of common interest.

In the end, the sides signed a protocol on the results of the meeting.